IKEA has expanded their Solvinden spring/summer collection of solar lights (can you believe we’ve been writing about these since 2009?!?!) to now include not only solar but WIND powered lighting!!! It’s a fun idea ~ and designer, David Wahl, tells us more about them (and shows them in action) in the video on the next page! These were apparently “Inspired by the playfulness and movement of amusement park lamps” and “The designers and product developers worked closely with the supplier - even driving around holding a prototype out the window - to test the wind-power until everything worked.” Fun! Can’t wait to try these out in person… take a peek at the video and more pics on the next page!

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Tags: gifts - green - home - ikea - lighting - outdoor - shopping - solar - wind

This post is brought to you by Mercedes-Benz. Every day, we strive to fulfill one simple promise: the best or nothing. Visit MBUSA to learn more.

It’s no surprise that many of our favorite lighting designs are heavily inspired by nature and geometric patterns. With their modular structures, many of these designs are even compact flat packed lighting systems that can be assembled easily (without tools or glue even!) by the end consumer into gorgeous large chandelier/pendant lamps. On the next page take a look at a roundup of geometric lighting we love from design classics to modern designs to futuristic living concepts!

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Tags: gifts - home - lighting - roundup - shopping

On fun CES finds ~ love these Inova USB Rechargeable LED Flashlights from Nite-ize. The new Inova X3R and T3R are lithium ion high grade aluminum bodied LED flashlights that have a mini-USB charging port hidden in the neck. By simply spinning the cap to extend it, you expose the usb charging port… and with nearly everything charging via USB these days, it’s perfect for travel, the car, etc… The LED lights feel great ~ take a peek at the latest on the next page!

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Tags: ces - gifts - lighting - shopping - technology - USB

Remember Audi’s 2011 CES booth of overlit white glowiness? Well this year Audi actually took it even further and created an equally stark white super bright booth that not only pulled everyone into the light… but trapped them in their infinite kaleidoscopic florescent tube grid of dizzying madness. Then again to be fair i had just walked the show floor all day and could barely feel my feet anyways. Regardless ~ it makes for awesome pictures ~ and some insane reflections on the many reflective surfaces in the booth…

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Tags: art - audi - cars - CES - lighting - technology

This post is part of NOTCOT Having Fun In The Dark series sponsored by Canon Powershot’s Your Second Shot While taking pictures in the dark often means standing super still, you may still end up with more graininess than usual… armed with Canon’s low-light HS SYSTEM, you can trust the tech to help you capture the perfect shot the first time!

These Canon sponsored posts have given us a fun excuse to grab our cameras and go running around in the dark ~ a chance to see things a bit differently! In this latest post, Jackson Stakeman and Linhchi Tang went and checked out some of the holiday lighting in Beverly Hills ~ from store windows to Santa and his reindeer flying through the night sky… it’s fun to see this eerily calm, beautifully lit, holiday world that emerges at night… take a peek at what they found on the next page!

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Tags: lighting - travel

This post is part of NOTCOT Having Fun In The Dark series sponsored by Canon Powershot’s Your Second Shot While taking pictures in the dark often means standing super still, you may still end up with more graininess than usual… armed with Canon’s low-light HS SYSTEM, you can trust the tech to help you capture the perfect shot the first time!

The holiday season makes running around suburbs trippier than usual… and some areas of LA go all out more than others when it comes to holiday lights and decorations! Jackson Stakeman (aka @Tasteologie Editor) ~ took a little LA adventure exploring the set ups and came back with some pretty amazing pictures of just how fascinating the decorations can get… take a peek at it all on the next page!

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Tags: holiday - lighting - los angeles - travel

This post is part of NOTCOT Having Fun In The Dark series sponsored by Canon Powershot’s Your Second Shot While taking pictures in the dark often means standing super still, you may still end up with more graininess than usual… armed with Canon’s low-light HS SYSTEM, you can trust the tech to help you capture the perfect shot the first time!

I’ve been lost in the world of light writing photography tonight which led me down the path to incredible artists and photographers using light to paint other worldly images in the dark… one of the most incredible standouts is German photographer, Jan Leonardo Wöllert. He photographs a world of “choreographed light” combined with low light photography to create glowing spheres, curves, and changign the way you view these dark spaces… and even created LAPP - Light Art Performance Photography in 2007. Take a peek at some of my favorites of his work on the next page!

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Tags: art - lighting - photography

This post is part of NOTCOT Having Fun In The Dark series sponsored by Canon Powershot’s Your Second Shot While taking pictures in the dark often means standing super still, you may still end up with more graininess than usual… armed with Canon’s low-light HS SYSTEM, you can trust the tech to help you capture the perfect shot the first time!

Wow. Our Tasteologie Editor (and resident photographer), Jackson Stakeman, was in Albuquerque, NM for the holidays and while wandering around in search of awesome holiday lights ~ ended up discovering this insane holiday light show at the New Mexico Biopark Society ~ they turn their botanic gardens into the “River of Lights”! Even better ~ as far as how much energy it takes to power this glittering installation, their site says, “the River of Lights crew, which works year-round to design and build new sculpture, in addition to repairing and refurbishing old ones, has begun using more LED lighting in the construction of new pieces and replacing incandescent bulbs in some of the older pieces.” Take a peek on the next page at the spectacle of lights in the form of gardens, whales, octopi, t-rexs, cars, and so much more… and there’s even a video at the end to give you a feel for the experience!

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Tags: lighting - photography - travel

While i’m not a huge camper or backpacker ~ i’ve always had a fascination for the wonderfully efficient products that come out of their needs! They pack down to nothing ~ make use of every pound and every inch… multipurpose mixes that normall wouldn’t happen ~ somehow work! Tables ~ Cookware ~ Lighting ~ you name it ~ its some of the most functional and uniquely designed stuff out there! And i was just fascinated with the latest from Snow Peak! They’ve even made the jump that all the impressively modular camp kitchen ware and let it work at HOME in a gorgeous wooden outdoor table set! And their latest for this year ~ the Tulip lamp works in every which way ~ stand alone, hanging in your tent, bedside, you can get creative with it. I also adore the little round bamboo tables that work as well at camp as they do for kids or as a coffee table, and it folds up to make space into a nylon carrying bag. And as for unexpected mixes ~ how about a spatula that can turn into a fork or…. well check it all out on the next page! I love how these new products allow you to seamlessly transition your camping/adventuring gear into usable goods at home ~ or vice versa!

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Tags: cooking - furniture - gifts - home - lighting - outdoors - shopping

This post is part of NOTCOT Having Fun In The Dark series sponsored by Canon Powershot’s Your Second Shot While taking pictures in the dark means standing super still, you may still end up with more graininess than usual …armed with Canon’s low-light HS SYSTEM, you can trust the tech to help you capture the perfect shot the first time!

A month and a bit ago the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans became the Mercedes-Benz Superdome… it is also the largest fixed domed structure in the world, designed New Orleans modernist architectural firm of Curtis and Davis. And our Tasteologie Editor, Jackson, had quite the view of it from the New Orleans Hyatt this weekend ~ coming home with some stunning pics and a video of the light show that takes place on at night… it glows through a rainbow of colors! Take a peek at some of the variations on the next page!

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Tags: lighting - sponsored - sport - travel

What to do with all of those old toys? Well over at Freshome, just found out that you can commission Evil Robot Designs to merge your toys into a bespoke sculptural lamp… then finish it off in a single color high gloss finish… fun concept, playful execution… take a look at some closeup examples on the next page.

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Tags: furniture - gifts - home - lighting - shopping

When i first saw the post titled “romantic star projector” over at Design Crush, i thought it sounded ridiculous. Then i couldn’t seem to stop staring at the pics. And there is something overwhelmingly awesome about the abundance of lights all around the room… and i can’t help wondering what it would look like if i turned off all the lights in my office, dimmed the monitors… and turned one on! You build it yourself ~ but can purchase the set up ~ and can even arrange it to mimic the night sky outside ~ or pick another spot on the globe… or another time. Take a peek at the pics and the set up on the next page.

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Tags: gifts - home - lighting - night - shopping

This series of Unexpected Combos posts is sponsored by P&G Downy. See the first post on Porsche Ice Cubes too!

There are so many approaches one could take to a mashup ~ for whatever reason mine tends to be start with an evil mwuahahaha kind of mad scientist kind of laugh in my head, followed by trying to figure out what fun items around me might fit together. In this case, 2 of the new Plumen bulbs arrived - “the world’s first designer light bulbs” (So gorgeous! But simply hanging them from a regular light to show off their fun shape didn’t seem like enough!) ~ and i’d been playing with lightbulb fixture connectors/splitter/plugs (and wondering how big of a tree of them i could make with lots of bulbs at the ends!) ~ and there was the Blue Lounge Mini Dock that allows your iphone/ipad/ipod to stay off the ground when charging… and when you put them all together ~ along with a simple ikea lamp base… i ended up with this fun iPhone Charging Lamp! Where the bulbs are as much a part of the lamp as the rest! Something almost antler like about the bulbs viewed this way ~ and rather mesmerizing as it lights up a room ~ perfect little stand to charge the iPhone, light the room, and control my music from it as the phone streams to speakers over airplay… so iphone charging DJ lamp? Take a peek at more of the silliness on the next page!

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Tags: accessories - gifts - home - ikea - ipad - iphone - ipod - lighting - shopping - technology

They really just don’t make horseless carriages like they used to anymore. This is the brake light of the 1917 Packard Twin Six 2-35 All-Weather Landaulet. Is it not amazing? Also the license plate actually says, “Horseless Carriage” on it. See the closeups, on the next page.

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Tags: cars - lighting

Love this Robo Mimicry from Shawn Sims + Karl Willis at CMU. There’s something magical about those huge robotic arms we always run into in manufacturing plants ~ big bright colors, mesmerizing to watch them assemble, paint, and do just about anything more powerful and precise than a human can… consistently… but there’s a lack of the fluidity and possibility within them… and since Shawn Sims showed me what initially looked like lightwriting pics on his iphone that were already visually mesmerizing… i was even more pulled in upon realizing they were 1) created by those awesome robotic arms 2) they were mimicking in z-space what a human had initially shown it through moving a hand around naturally… and using a Kinect as it’s eye…

The playful potential of taking the precise, programmable motions and actions of these robotic arms ~ and exploring their artistic and more “human” or organic motions ~ opens up a whole world of robotic lightwriting graffiti, painting, or a synchronized visual display (whether multiple robotic arms in one location, or across the globe) ~ the ability to explore ways that others may interact or control these robotic arms and have beautiful visual/motion captured results just send my head spinning with ideas… and perhaps that’s exactly why Shawn and i are teaming up for NOTlabs to see where else we can go with this space where art, technology, and culture are constantly overlapping… (While NOTlabs is in quiet incubation mode at the moment ~ feel free to follow us on Twitter as we figure out where we’re headed!) But for now… take a peek at the videos and images of the beautifully organic movements of the awesomely orange ABB4400 robot that is tucked away in CMU’s Digital Fabrication Lab as it fluidly dances and mimics with light on the next page!

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Tags: art - lighting - notlabs - robot - technology

There’s no denying that Kindle Living has some of the nicest heat lamps around. In fact, its surprising that there aren’t more designs that make better use of people’s natural tendencies to cluster under heat lamps… love that these are beautiful designs (though a bit alice in wonderland with the HUGE scaled traditional looking lamp look), more functional than purely heating - with the ability to provide lighting, cocktail tables, and even customized shades and more. But what’s most fascinating that i just discovered, is HOW they are actually assembled. When researching heat lamps for my friend’s patio, we started reading up on all the details, and discovered the assembly guide filled with pics! Surprisingly easy, i’m tempted now… even though it doesn’t get THAT chilly here! Take a peek on the next page!

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Tags: furniture - gifts - home - lighting - outdoors - shopping

Been exploring NY Design Week digitally this year, and Anna of Sub-Studio, has been our eyes and ears! She just sent over these pics of The Reflective Work showing at The Future Perfect! Gorgeously simple idea, and so beautiful! Made by Lara Knutson, the shade is made out of a reflective glass fabric that is made from microscopic glass beads which magnify light 100 times. The fixture is lit with an LED that looks like a traditional lightbulb when reflected in the lampshade. There was also a bunch of vases and jewelry that was made from the same reflective fabric. See close ups on the next page!

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Tags: concept - icff - lighting - prototype - reflective

Thanks, Veuve Clicquot, our Milano Design Week sponsor! We adore their new origami inspired ice bucket, Clicq’up.

Justine spotted the beautiful lamp (Gice) and chair (Moon) from The Dutch Standard while running around Milan. Mesmerizingly sci-fi, these reflective, woody spheres can’t help but draw you in… take a peek at the next page to see how the Gice light and Moon chair look!

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Tags: chair - furniture - lighting - milan - salone

Thanks, Veuve Clicquot, our Milano Design Week sponsor! We adore their new origami inspired ice bucket, Clicq’up.

Spotted in Milan, the mesmerizing Flylight, by Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta (Studio DRIFT) in collaboration with engineers Klaas van der Molen and Luuk van Laake. It is a beautiful light installation composed of 160 glass tubes. The tubes light up and respond to the viewer and was inspired by the movements of a flock of birds. Each light is programmed with digital DNA and responds individually to the presence of viewers. Ultrasonic sensors detect the distance between viewers and installation, causing the ‘flock’ to react differently as visitors come closer or approach the installation in different configurations. To make sense of it fully you have to check out the video and pics on the next page!

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Tags: art - birds - installation - lighting - milan - salone - technology

Armed with her camera, Justine checked out the Kinetica Art Fair for us, and found some inspiring and fun art pieces i’m loving! Here’s what she had to say about it…

Jun Ga Young’s ‘Whistling Sea’ is another incredible piece at the 2011 Kinetica Art Fair which consisted of hanji paper, creating a sea of colours and hues, which change sometimes calmly and at other times rapidly along with the music. There’s something magical watching it in action, so take a peek at the videos on the next page!

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Tags: art - events - installation - lighting

Armed with her camera, Justine checked out the Kinetica Art Fair for us, and found some inspiring and fun art pieces i’m loving! Here’s what she had to say about it…

The highlight of the 2011 Kinetica Art Fair for me was Alex Posada’s ‘The Particle’, which had me mesmerized. A spectacle of light and sound, a seemingly simple wire frame studded with lights came to life. Posada writes of his piece “Experimenting with colour, sound and movement, the continuous rotation, speed and light create visual effects that define the spatial structure of the object.” The exhibit has a further layer of complexity, the regulatory mechanism of the design is based on the haphazard decision-making manner, forming new models. This means that the structures cannot be anticipated, but instead evolve through continual iterations involving the viewer. You simply must check out more pics and videos on the next page!

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Tags: art - events - lighting - video

Armed with her camera, Justine checked out the Kinetica Art Fair for us, and found some inspiring and fun art pieces i’m loving! Here’s what she had to say about it…

I discovered the work of Dianne Harris at the 2011 Kinetica Art Fair, where her Neon works Caduceus, E=MConsciousness2 and Eternally Yours were featured. Dianne’s work “aims to heighten and advance human potentiality and question the self-imposed limitations that serve to confine the very nature of our ideas, thoughts and being” and perfectly captured Kinetica Art Fair’s theme of Body, Brain and Consciousness. See more pictures on the next page!

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Tags: art - events - lighting

The new Lladró Lithophane lights that launched in Paris at Maison et Objet are stunning. Something so fun about the way the cluster of porcelain lights glow from afar, and as you get closer you see the wintry scenes with deer… or the parrots playfully adorning them. These new lights of Lladró porcelain can be displayed in so many ways, i love the modular potential, from more traditional chandelier like hanging, to twisted in clusters, they can change the mood of any room. Take a peek at some closeups of the two on the next page…

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Tags: gifts - home - lighting - luxury - porcelain - shopping

Northern Lighting’s latest addition is Evergreen, by designers Vibeke Skar and Jens Praet, though first presented in milan last year, it’s making the rounds again during the Stockholm Furniture Fair in Sweden now. With a classic pendant shape, i love that it is hand blown glass, giving it such an elegant glow, and the mount is a pulley attached to the ceiling and you simply figure eight the cord around the other fixture to secure it. And it really caught my eye to see the making of pic appear in my inbox this morning! See more pictures of it on the next page!

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Tags: gifts - glass - home - lighting - shopping

André Balazs Properties have always had gorgeously unique light bulbs… Chateau Marmont has a playful Pan (god of fertility, unbridled male sexuality and carnal desire to name a few) in a bulb… The Mercer has its signature M… it’s about time that The Standard Hotel’s had theirs as well! Announced last night, and literally flying off their digital and physical shelves, the KAWS Light Bulb Set for the Standard are a limited, but non-numbered edition of 1,000 sets that contain 3 bulbs each, of one bulb in each color: red, purple and green. While a few blocks away, i popped over to check out the new display of them in The Standard New York Shop window… as well as unboxing them and playing with them up close! The glow just draws you in, and the X’s are so signature KAWS. Ready to take a peek at it all up close? See the many pics on the next page!

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Tags: art - gifts - lighting - shopping - standard - unboxing